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West Ryder Pauper Lunatic Asylum
West Ryder Pauper Lunatic Asylum is Kasabian's third studio album. It was released on 8 June 2009 and peaked at #1 in the UK charts. Background After recording Empire very quickly, Kasabian chose to take more time off to make its follow-up, starting in early 2008 in the band's own studio in Leicester, E-Land Mig, and then travelling to San Francisco around August to work with producer Dan the Automator and record the vocals. The entire creation process took about nine months and the album was finished in December 2008, after which it was decided not to release it until June because the songs were "summer tunes."http://www.xfm.co.uk/news/2009/kasabian-on-west-ryder-pauper-lunatic-asylum About the decision to work with Dan the Automator Serge explained that they "wanted someone else's ear" and that they couldn't get a rock producer because the music on the album wouldn't have made sense to him, it had to be a hip hop producer to give the songs the impact they needed.http://www.xfm.co.uk/news/2009/kasabian-on-west-ryder-pauper-lunatic-asylum The album is named after the West Riding Pauper Lunatic Asylum in Menston, Yorkshire, part of which was later known as High Royds Hospital until its closure in 2003. Serge saw a documentary about this asylum and liked the name so much that he decided to use it. The album, however, is not about the place. "I love the way it looked and the feeling it evokes," Serge told NME.http://www.nme.com/news/kasabian/45282 In an interview with XFM he explained that they wanted to "set it apart from anything else around" and give it a 60s feeling, referring to album titles like the Small Faces' Ogdens' Nut Gone Flake or The Rolling Stones' Their Satanic Majesties Request.http://www.xfm.co.uk/news/2009/kasabian-on-west-ryder-pauper-lunatic-asylum "If you call an album that it pretty much gives you the freedom to go wherever you want," he said.http://msn.juiceonline.com/kasabian-asylum-seekers/ Described as "the soundtrack to an imaginary movie" and classified by Kasabian as "21st century rock 'n' roll", West Ryder and its madness were, according to Serge, a reaction against being told that after having a #1 album with Empire they should be taking things more seriously, especially on the strategically important third record.Sky Arts Songbook As a teaser for the album, Kasabian made Vlad The Impaler available as a free download between 31 March and 3 April 2009, together with its video.http://www.nme.com/news/nme/43681 Tracklisting #Underdog #Where Did All The Love Go? #Swarfiga #Fast Fuse #Take Aim #Thick As Thieves #West Ryder Silver Bullet #Vlad The Impaler #Ladies and Gentlemen (Roll the Dice) #Secret Alphabets #Fire #Happiness Artwork The artwork was created by WIZ, who also took the cover photograph, making West Ryder the first release that depicts the members of the band on the cover. It shows them as inmates "dressed up for a party at the asylum." Serge cited Amon Düül II's Made in Germany as an inspiration for the cover, saying "I wanted to do something in that tradition. I just thought, bands don’t really do covers like that any more. Admittedly, some people might think we look really silly, but for me I just think it really works."http://www.nme.com/news/kasabian/45282 Personnel Kasabian *Tom Meighan (Vocals) *Sergio Pizzorno (Guitars / Vocals / Production) *Chris Edwards (Bass) *Ian Matthews (Drums) Additional Musicians *Jason Mehler (Additional guitar on tracks 1, 9 and 12) *Dan Ralph Martin (Additional guitar on track 4, piano on track 12) *Gary Alesbrook (Trumpet) *Tim Carter (Additional guitar, keyboards and percussion) *Rosario Dawson (Guest vocals on track 7) *Wired Strings (Strings) *Rosie Danvers (Arrangement - Strings) Technical Staff *Dan the Automator (Production) *Tim Carter (Engineering) *Marc Senesac (Mix engineering) *Howie Weinberg (Mastering) *Jim Abiss (Recording - Strings) *Andrew Whiston (Artwork / Photography) *Tom Skipp (Design) Chart Performance Tour Following a handful of UK gigs and festival appearances throughout 2008, the West Ryder tour started on 23 March 2009 in Margate and ended at V Festival, Chelmsford on 22 August 2010, covering 20 countries in between. Quotes Versions *West Ryder Pauper Lunatic Asylum CD Album (PARADISE57) *West Ryder Pauper Lunatic Asylum 2x10" Vinyl Album (PARADISE59) *West Ryder Pauper Lunatic Asylum CD/DVD Album (PARADISE58) *West Ryder Pauper Lunatic Asylum Album Promo CD (PARADISE56) *West Ryder Pauper Lunatic Asylum Album Sampler (PARADISE56S) *West Ryder Pauper Lunatic Asylum CD Slipcase (PARADISE62) *West Ryder Pauper Lunatic Asylum CD/DVD Tour Edition (PARADISE67) *West Ryder Pauper Lunatic Asylum CD Album (Japan) *West Ryder Pauper Lunatic Asylum Bonus Track CD Album (Japan) *West Ryder Pauper Lunatic Asylum 2xCD Album (Japan) *West Ryder Pauper Lunatic Asylum Album Promo CD (Argentina) *West Ryder Pauper Lunatic Asylum Clean Album Sampler *West Ryder Pauper Lunatic Asylum Album Promo CD-R *West Ryder Pauper Lunatic Asylum Album Promo CD-R (EMI USA) *West Ryder Pauper Lunatic Asylum Album Promo CD-R (RCA USA) *The Albums (PARADISE66) *Empire / West Ryder Pauper Lunatic Asylum *West Ryder Pauper Lunatic Asylum CD Album (German Reissue) References Category:Albums